Shadow Day brings together over 600 participants including 300 high school students from neighboring communities (Oakland, Richmond and Berkeley) to be matched in groups with 300 current UC Berkeley students. Many of the high school students are not “college- tracked” and are under-represented in the university system. These students come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. For many of them, they have not applied to college and will be visiting a college campus for the first time. They will be given the opportunity to learn first-hand, from Cal students, what college is really like.

The day begins in the morning when the high school students arrive to meet Cal volunteers at the YWCA, and continues throughout the day auditing class lectures, attending workshops, and touring campus. We will also provide breakfast, lunch, and t-shirts to all our participants. Most importantly, we will be providing an opportunity for high school students to be inspired to acquire information and help in applying and paying for college.

Pre-Kindergarten Enrichment Program (PEP)

Volunteers Needed all year long including Summer!Super flexible scheduling with adorable toddlers!1 ED 197 Education unit available

Have the time of your life while mentoring preschoolers. This program is designed for you to directly interact with the toddlers in their colorfully fun classroom settings. You get to feel like a preschooler again! The program serves over 8 low income classrooms in Berkeley and Oakland. You can choose to volunteer any day of the week and the program has very flexible scheduling! Come have some fun and volunteer!

techGYRLS

Be a Mentor for Girls in Oakland! No technology background required to be a mentor!1 197 Education unit available

Become an intern today! Meet new people & make new friends, while advocating for girls empowerment through STEM at local elementary schools. You will LOVE being a mentor in this heart-warming program! This program has super flexible scheduling from 5 schools to choose from in the afternoon. Transportation is provided to and from all the school sites!

Girls Group Mentoring Program

The Girls Group is comprised of female students at Willard middle school and UC Berkeley mentors. As a group, we will play games, make crafts and other fun activities while discussing issues that pertain to our lives. Middle school is often a tough time for young girls and the Cal mentors are there to support them along their journey and validate the feelings they once felt. Opening up discussion to issues like self-esteem, being a young woman of color, peer pressure and more provides an opportunity for girls feel like their voices are heard and to reinforce that they are not alone. We want everyone to have fun and reflect on their experiences together. All girls are welcome in this safe space as we work towards building a community of young girls and young women in Berkeley.

Seeking female Cal mentors! For more information or an application stop by the YWCA Office, call by phone at (510) 848-6370 or email to ymp@ywca-berkeley.org.